I’d like to introduce you to a little recipe that we make at our house all the time—coconut oil vegan chocolate fudge. It’s our absolute favorite healthier dessert, and we almost always have all the ingredients we need to make it stocked in our pantry.
This fudge is different from regular fudge in that it is naturally sweetened, totally dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free, and packed with healthy fats, thanks to a good chunk of coconut oil. It is packed with nutrients and good-for-you stuff.
Table of Contents
Do I need chocolate or cocoa powder?
For this recipe, we’re going to use cocoa powder. Not only does it give the recipe tons of rich, chocolatey-flavor, but cocoa powder is also easy to keep on hand in the pantry!
What is vegan fudge made of?
Coconut oil. The idea behind this fudge is that property that all coconut oil users know well—coconut oil is solid at room temperature, but anything above that, and it’s a velvety smooth liquid oil.
Honey or maple syrup. If you want to make this fudge vegan, make sure you stick with maple syrup. Honey works if you are eating animal products.
Unsweetened cocoa powder. We recommend using Dutch-process cocoa powder for the best, rich dark chocolate flavor, but standard cocoa powder also does the trick!
Vanilla extract and salt. To get a fully-rounded flavor, you need some vanilla and salt. The salt will help amplify the chocolate flavor.
To make this fudge, you simply warm and melt the coconut oil, stir it with cocoa and sweetener, and then pour it into a pan. Then you chill that sucker in the fridge, and out pops the most velvety, dense, and smooth fudge you’ve ever had—without a single second of cooking time.
No boiling hot sugar on the stove and fussing with a candy thermometer. No sticking something in the microwave for 10 minutes. Just five minute, deeply chocolatey fudge—with a gloriously awesome hint of coconut flavor.
Why is my fudge crumbly?
If you used honey, sometimes crystallized honey can cause issues with separation and make the fudge crumbly. Maple syrup gives a consistently creamy result!
If you are struggling with crumbling, bring the fudge back up to room temperature, and see if that helps soften the fudge.
Is dark chocolate vegan?
This recipe is vegan because we’re using pure unsweetened cocoa powder. However, some dark chocolate bars do occasionally contain animal products like milk or honey.
Can I make other flavors of this vegan fudge recipe?
Absolutely! You can make peanut butter fudge, though adding peanut butter will make it a little less solid—but not less delicious.
You could also stir in some orange zest for a wonderful orange chocolate flavor!
Vegan Chocolate Fudge Recipe
Yield: 9 servings
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour3 minutes
This Easy Vegan Chocolate Fudge Recipe is a breeze to make. It's a delicious homemade healthy vegan snack that’s naturally sweetened, and uses just 5 simple ingredients!
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey or maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt until very smooth. If the mixture doesn’t come together, heat over very low heat in a small saucepan until very smooth.
Pour mixture into the prepared dish. Refrigerate until solid, about an hour, then sprinkle the shredded coconut on top, and cut into 9 small pieces. If you're in a hurry, pop it in the freezer and you'll be ready to go in about half the time—although you might need to use a knife run under hot water to cut through it.
Notes
I don't recommend making this in any of the "regular" size baking pans, because the resulting fudge will be very thin (this is a small batch recipe). I like using asmall square food storage container. If you happen to have a mini muffin tin, you can also use that for pre-portioned fudge bites.
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
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The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.
Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has come to a boil, do not stir it. If you do, the sugar can crystallize, giving your fudge a gritty texture. As you beat the fudge, pay attention to color and texture. Once the fudge loses its sheen and thickens, put down your spoon.
You can substitute coconut oil for butter in a 1:1 ratio. The oil—which can be both a solid and a liquid—can bring a coconut taste to foods, so it works seamlessly in chocolate dishes or dishes with tropical flavor profiles.
Evaporated milk doesn't have sugar added. The sweetened condended milk is needed as no extra sugar is added to the fudge. If evaporated milk were used then the fudge would not be sweet enough and also would still be too soft unless the fudge is frozen.
Another key part of a successful fudge texture is when you stir the mixture. Stirring the sugar and milk during the initial stages of cooking allows the sugar to dissolve. However, once the mixture comes to a boil, it's time to put the spoon down.
The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.
How can you fix soft fudge? Put it in a microwave safe bowl that is large enough that it won't boil over. Reheat it to the boiling point and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then you can beat some powdered sugar into it if this doesn't make it set.
The result is hard and brittle fudge. To save the fudge, put it in a saucepan with 45 to 60 ml (3 or 4 tbsp.) of 35% cream and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely melted. Then let it boil without stirring until the thermometer reaches 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).
Using a clean spoon, carefully take a little of the syrup and drop it into the bowl of cold water. Leave to cool for a moment then pick up the ball of syrup. If it's pliable, sticky and can be moulded in your fingers easily, it has reached the soft ball stage and the syrup can be used to make fudge and marzipan.
If the temperature is too low, the fudge will be too soft and sticky, and if it's too high, it will turn into a hard, crumbly mess. The ideal temperature to cook fudge is between 232-234 degrees F (111-112 degrees C).
Coconut oil can replace butter in baking at a 1:1 ratio, though it may slightly change the flavor, with some types of coconut oil affecting taste more than others. Unrefined coconut oil tends to taste more like coconut than refined varieties. It works great for recipes that require tropical or rich chocolate flavors.
Use unsalted butter so you can add a small amount of salt (¼ teaspoon per stick of butter) to the sugar/liquid mixture. Salt tends to stabilize the mixture and keep it from foaming as much.
Avocado Provides a Creamy Texture and Heart-Healthy Fat
Mashed avocado can be substituted for butter at a 1:1 ratio and is particularly good in recipes containing chocolate or cocoa. “Its creamy texture and mild flavor pairs well with the sweetness of chocolate,” Poulson says of avocado.
Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!
High-quality fudge tastes smooth and creamy because it contains small sugar crystals. It has a deep brown color and a satiny sheen. Poor-quality fudge tastes grainy because it contains large sugar crystals.
The sugars probably crystallized, a common mistake when making candy like fudge or caramel. If the melting sugar splashes onto the sides of the pan, it turns back into crystals and causes the fudge to seize up. To avoid this issue, swirl the pan instead of stirring it with a spoon.
Tiny microcrystals in fudge are what give it its firm texture. The crystals are small enough, however, that they don't feel grainy on your tongue, but smooth. While you ultimately want crystals to form, it's important that they don't form too early.
Introduction: My name is Velia Krajcik, I am a handsome, clean, lucky, gleaming, magnificent, proud, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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